minced oath

[ minst-ohth ]

noun

a word used in place of a swear word for the sake of politeness, often resembling the profane word or expression closely enough in sound and syllable structure that the substituted curse is still identifiable: He said, “Dash it!” a minced oath that did not offend those around him.

Origin of minced oath

¹

First recorded in 1790–1800

Words Nearby minced oath

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use minced oath in a sentence

Gad′so, an exclamation of surprise; Gad′zooks, an obsolete minced oath.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) | Various
Drat, drat, v.t. a minced oath used to express vexation, as 'Drat the boy!'
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) | Various
It was a minced oath from Richard that first broke the spell that bound us.
The Master of Appleby | Francis Lynde

Browse